Solar beginings

[stop4stuff]

I think I got me a bargain

Yesterday. I was googling for PV cell/panel prices in the UK. The cheapest I found worked to be around £5.00 ($9.28) per Watt panel/cell rating.

I also found an 'off grid' parts supply company (Barden Energy) about 15 miles from where I live... so I paid them a visit

(Barden sell 100Ah Trojans for  £90+vat and lesser batteries for much less

I asked if they had any solar panels that were broken and if they'd consider selling them cheap.

The assistant said, "Wait there, I think we've got one."

He came back with a largish panel with broken front glass...

...close inspection revealed that it had fallen onto one corner causing the tempered glass to craze...

...I came home with a £600 ($1100+) Solara SM480S polycrystalline 120W panel... cash price £100 ($185.53)

...a 'cheap as chips' 'bobby dazzler'

For specs, see: http://www.bardenbatteries.co.uk/solara-rigid-glass-panels.html

(Solara panels with high-efficiency polycrystalline solar cells. ... SM480S, 120Wp. 480wh/d. 1288 x 673 x 35mm)

So far I've hooked up my 12v NiCad delta peak charger and topped off 3x 7.2v 1300mAh NiCad packs and now I've got a 12v 17Ah SLA battery charging

Laying flat in direct sunlight, the panel has peaked 3.6A at 20.2V (72.72W) into the 12v NiCad Charger.

The 72 cells in the panel appear undamaged. As I live in a flat (appartment), with a balcony above, I'm going to try to split the panel down and make up smaller panels that can be mounted on an active tracking system along my balcony edge.

I've also had a tester at dismantling the panel, the edges are alu extrusions joined with corner pieces, glued to the main panel. The edges come off quite redily once a blade has been run around the edges to break the glue.

The main panel is a laminate that appears to be;

1. backing plastic sheet,
   
2. blue silicone type gunk that the cells and connections are set in,
   
3. clear silicone gunk bonding the blue stuff to the glass,
   
4. glass.
   
   

It would appear that the cells are flexible and do not nessecarily need the glass in front to be water resistant, more 'investigating' needed

Neways, today's lesson...

'It never hurts to ask.'

On with the fun )

paul

[JeroenH]

Please be careful with the cells when you have them out of the panel. If they are normal polycrystalline cells (which they appear to be when I look at the specs) they are very thim (sub-mm) squares of glass-like material. Like glass, they break very easy.

Nice price for the power though! My 20Wp panel was € 10 / Wp, and I'm about to buy another one for € 6,60 / Wp. Larger PV panels can be had for about € 5 / Wp. I live in the Netherlands.

[Chester]

I thought every little cell on these panels are connected in series. At least mine are. I would be very hesitant cutting it up. But that's just me and I paid a lot more than you did for mine. If only my pump worked, I would be using it a lot right now.

[stop4stuff]

The cells are connected as 36 sets of 2 paralled.

I don't think i'm going to be able to get the broken glass off easily without bending the cell structure so I'll leave it in sone piece and cover the glass with some acrylic sheet for now.

...today's weather...

gloomy and overcast

Time to make and test some 'cloudy day' reflectors and see how much power I can get out of the panel.

On with the Fun )

paul